Religious Studies Series
to Focus on Founder of Mormonism

SHREVEPORT, LA—Centenary’s Religious Studies Department will
sponsor a film and lecture series Oct. 24-28 about Joseph Smith, the founder
of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known
as the Mormon Church. The five-day series, “Joseph Smith at 200:
The Mormon Prophet’s Contribution to American and Christian History,”
will concentrate on the life and teachings of Mormonism’s founder
during the bicentennial observation of his birth.

Events will feature film presentations and discussions, lectures by
major scholars and opportunities for interfaith dialogue. Speakers in
the series include leading scholars in the fields of Mormon studies and
interfaith dialogue: Jan Shipps from Indiana University-Purdue University,
Indianapolis; Richard Bushman from Columbia University, author of Joseph
Smith: Rough Stone Rolling; Robert Millet from Brigham Young University;
and Baptist minister Rev. Greg Johnson of Standing Together Ministries.

Dr. Peter Huff, chair of the Religious Studies Department, calls the
series “an extraordinary opportunity to learn about one of the most
remarkable—and controversial—figures in American religious
history. Believers and skeptics will benefit from this exploration of
Smith’s fascinating life and international significance.”

This past summer, Dr. Huff and Dr. Ross Smith, associate professor of
music, led a group of Centenary students on a travel module, visiting
key sites associated with Joseph Smith’s life and the early Mormon
experience. Professors Huff and Smith, along with the students from the
Mormon studies module, will host the series' opening event, which will
be a screening of the film American Prophet on Monday, Oct. 24
at 6:30 p.m. in Kilpatrick Auditorium.

Thursday, Oct. 27 at 11 a.m.
“The Risks and Rewards of Interfaith Dialogue,” a Centenary
Convocation, with Robert Millet in Kilpatrick Auditorium, Smith Building

Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.
“An Evangelical and a Latter-day Saint in Dialogue” with
Robert Millet and Gregory Johnson in Anderson Auditorium, Hurley School
of Music

Friday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.
Film Screening and Discussion of the movie Legacy at The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 200 Carroll Street in
Shreveport

All events are free and open to the general public. The series is co-sponsored
by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Shreveport Louisiana
Stake, and Centenary’s Center for Theological Studies.